Episiotomy scissors



Sept. 18, 1951 F. HAUFRECT EPISIOTOMY SCISSORS Filed March 9. 1949 INVENTOR. Fred Haujrect B Y ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 gram v OFFICE 2,568,234 EPIsioroMY soIssoRs Fred Haufrect, Houston, Tex., assignor of twenty per cent to Roy Tashnek, Houston, Tex.

Application March 9, 1949, SerialNo. 80,439

3- Claims. (Cl. 128-318) This invention relates to surgical scissors and more particularly to episiotomy scissors.

' Conventional scissors usedfor' episiot'ornies employ blade arrangements which cut forwardly from the handles in the generally conventional manner. The handles must, therefore, be elevated or otherwise manipulated to a suitable position by the hand of the operator in order to direct the blades in the proper downward position to effect suitable incision of the perineum. Such elevation of the handles necessarily places them in position to interfere with the fetal head as it bulges between the labia. In a forceps delivery,v there will be interference with the handles of the forceps.

To offset these difficulties arising from the employment of the more conventional episiotomy scissors, episiotomies are often performed at a relatively early stage of delivery prior to crowning, or before the forceps are applied. In such instances, there must be an increase in the amount of maternal blood loss due to the increased interval from the time of the episiotomy to the time of its repair. Also, in such case, the presentingv part no longer brings sufficient pressure to, bear on the perineum to reduce the local blood supply. Moreover, an episiotomy performed at such early stage may be either too short or too long, as it is more difficult at such a time to judge the relationship of the size of the fetal head to the give of the perineum.

Accordingly, the principal objects of this invention are to provide a scissors which will greatly facilitate the performance of episiotomy; which will reduce the amount of blood loss incident to the operation; which will permit performance of the operation at a time when the operator may better judge the extent of the episiotomy necessary; which may be employed without danger of injury to the fetal head; and which may be employed contemporaneously with obstetrical forceps without interference therebetween.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a useful embodiment in accordance with this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the scissors in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 isa view of the scissors from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1, and showing the blades in open position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the blades taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a more or less diagrammatic view, illustrating the position of the scissors relative 2 to the position of the fetal head and obstetrical forceps when in use; and

Fig.5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of Fig. l. I

Referring to the drawings, the numerals it and II designate generally a pair of relatively short cutting blades which are provided. with a pair of handles i l and i5, respectively, rigidly connected to the blades as by being made integral therewith. The handles are connected to the blades in a manner to form an acute angle [2 at the juncture with the blades. In the illustrative embodiment, angle 2 is approximately 60 but may be any other suitable angle less than A pivot screw it extends transversely through the angular connecting portions to provide the usual pivotal connection between the scissor blades. Blade Ii], which may be designated the base or outer blade, is provided at its tip end with a rounded portion l5 extending laterally from its outer side, and has its upper edge l'i' made generally smoothly rounded along its length so as to have no sharp or abruptly angled surfaces thereon (see Fig. 5 particularly). The lower edge I8 of blade it! is upwardly curved at 9 at its outer end portion to .merge with the upper edge IT and is preferably sharpened along its full length, including curved portion [9. Blade II, which may be designated the moving or inner blade, is of the same general configuration as blade It but does not have the lateral tip portion corresponding to portion [6. Inner blade I I has its upper edge 29 sharpened to form its cutting edge and is shaped to lie below and generally parallel to upper edge I! of outer blade Ill when in the closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Edge IT, by this arrangement, serves as a guard for the cutting edge of blade I l. The lower edge 2! of inner blade H is generally rounded and, in the closed position, extends below and generally parallel to cutting edge E8 of blade l0, thereby providing a guard therefor (see Figs. 1 and 5). The ends of handles it and i5 are provided with loops 22 and 23, respectively. Loop 22, which is on the handle connected to outer blade IE], is preferably larger than loop 23 and is designed for insertion of several of the fingers of the operators hand, While loop 23 is preferably designed for the insertion of the operators thumb.

Fig. 4 illustrates more or less diagrammatically the manner in which the above-described scissors are employed in performing an episiotomy during a forceps delivery, it being understood that the scissors may be similarly employed in connection with normal deliveries. As thus illustrated, it will be seen that when holding the scissors in the normal manner, cutting of the perineum P is effected with the handles well below any position which would interfere with the manipulation of forceps F, when the latter is held in the other hand of the operator in applying traction in the usual manner to a fetal head H.

The operator will be cutting in a direction which is generally toward himself and downwardly and away from the head H. Blade l will be held more or less stationary while blade ll controlled by the thumb of the operator will move toward the exterior surface of the perineum in effecting the incision. The blunt tip and rounded outer surfaces of base blade I0 and its angular relation to its handle permits the blade to be inserted between head H and the inner surface of the perineum with outward pressure on the latter, thereby greatly reducing the danger of injury to the head, even at crowning or when under traction of forceps F. There will thus be no need for insertion of the fingers to guide the blade as is done in accordance with conventional practice.

The employment of scissors of the described construction, enables the operator to perform the episiotomy at a relatively late stage of delivery, as when the head bulges the perineum in normal deliveries or when forceps are used. This is due to the fact that the handles of the scissors point almost perpendicularly to the skin surface of the perineum, away from the presenting fetal part and from the handles of the obstetric forceps. Thus, the operator may wait until this relatively late stage of delivery when he is in much better position to appraise the extent of the episiotomy which will be required, and when the pressure of the presenting part on the surfaces of the perineum will serve to reduce the flow of blood from the incision. The blood loss will be further reduced by the reduction thus effected between the time of such relatively late episiotomy and its eventual repair after delivery.

The angle between the blades and their connected handles may be varied in size but in every case must be an acute angle in order to accomplish the primary objects of this invention. It will be understood that this invention is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An episiotomy scissors, comprising, a pair of pivotally connected blades, a pair of handles connected at an acute angle to said blades, and a laterally extending tip portion on the free end of the outer one of said blades, whereby to form a guard therefor.

2. An episiotomy scissors, comprising, a pair of blades, a pair of handles rigidly connected to said blades at an acute angle thereto, a pivot between the blades positioned in said angle, and an outwardly rounded portion integrally formed on the outer end of the outer one of said blades and extending laterally therefrom.

3. An episiotomy scissors, comprising, a pair of pivotally connected blades, a pair of handles connected at an acute angle to said blades, the outer one of said blades being insertible between the perineum and a fetal portion presenting thereto, the outer edge of said outer blade being rounded along its length and curved inwardly at its forward end toward the inner edge, the curved forward end being laterally broadened, whereby to form a guard to protect said fetal portion against injury by said blade.

FRED HAUFRECT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,234,472 Freel Mar. 11, 1941 2,354,303 Carver July 25, 1944 

